Page 68 of Veil of Shadows

“Well, you sure haven’t quit. And I certainly haven’t fired you.”

“As far as they know, I’m dead.”

Delilah shook her head. “Maybe missing in action. But certainly not dead.”

Screams and howls erupted in the distance, and it took all of the energy I had to focus. Dom struggled against his restraints, but he didn’t try for long. All too soon, his body slumped with exhaustion, and I had to press my back further against him just to keep him upright.

I stared Delilah down. “What do you want?”

“Simple,” my former boss said with a shrug. “Come with me, and Dom lives.”

“BEXLEY, GODDAMN IT, WHERE ARE YOU!?” Voss bellowed.

“Bumblebee, please!” Ronyn cried out.

Dear God, the commander general sounded damn near desperate.

“Are you really going to keep your boys so worried like this?” Delilah asked.

I peered over my shoulder and watched Dom’s eyes roll into the back of his head. His forehead finally stopped sweating, and I knew that wasn’t good. Without thinking, I turned my back to Delilah and cupped his face in my hands.

“Just stay with me a bit longer, please,” I whispered as I shook his face softly. “Open those eyes for me.”

But all he did was groan as his head fell back against the trunk of the tree.

“Let him go!” I exclaimed, whipping back toward Delilah. “He has nothing to do with this!”

“Oh, but he does,” she said as she shook her head, as if scolding a small child. “He has everything to do with this. They all do.”

Then, all of a sudden, the wall of flames moved steadily closer to us.

“What the fuck?” I asked breathlessly.

“Bexley!” Voss barked.

“Goddamn it, woman, where the hell are you!?” Ronyn cried out.

“They’re this way! Come on! Follow the smoke!” Merida yelped.

“Tick tock, the fire draws,” Delilah singsonged. “Are you really going to let someone else that you care about die because of your negligence, Special Agent? Because I have to admit, that really isn’t like you.”

“Jacob,” I whispered breathlessly.

And all at once, I caved.

“Okay,” I said as I locked my eyes with Dom.

“No!” Dom managed to bark as he helplessly struggled against his restraints, his oceanic eyes pleading with me. “Bexley, stop it! Please! You don’t know what you’re doing. You don’t know what kind of deal you’re making!”

I took a few steps away from him, backing toward Delilah. “I’ll go with you, but I have some demands.”

“Nooooo!” Dom roared, tugging at the tree’s trunk.

Delilah’s voice rose up behind me. I didn’t want to take my eyes off Dom. Not even for a fucking millisecond. “Oh, I’m sure you do, Special Agent. But, they’ll have to wait until later.”

That made me spin toward her. “No, that’s not how this works. Before I go with you, you need t—AH!”

“Bexley!” Dom yelled breathlessly. “No! What have you done? Let her go, Delilah!”

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